These Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Pesto can be added to your ketogenic breakfast menu if you are looking for low carb recipes. It’s super quick, delicious, naturally low in carbs and packed full of healthy fats. For the last few weeks I have been trying to incorporate a ketogenic diet into my life....

These Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Pesto can be added to your ketogenic breakfast menu if you are looking for low carb recipes. It’s super quick, delicious, naturally low in carbs and packed full of healthy fats.

For the last few weeks I have been trying to incorporate a ketogenic diet into my life. I’ve been struggling with loosing the last ten pounds since having a baby a year ago and decided to give this super popular diet a try.

The principles of this diet are simple: eat a minimal amount of carbs and lots of healthy fats. But it actually is easier said than done. Obviously your options are limited, so you’ll have to get creative in order to not get bored by eating the same foods over & over again.

I must say, ever since I started this diet I’ve created a few dishes that were so good that I couldn’t stop talking about them. While on keto diet, eggs are your best friends. But I got bored with boiled, scrambled & fried, so I decided to use these ramekins and bake myself some delicious eggs. That’s how this Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Pesto recipe was born.

While they are keto approved, you can enjoy these baked eggs with tomatoes and pesto even if you aren’t following this diet. In fact, if you aren’t constrained by the diet, then I’d suggest dunking an amazing crusty bread into them and indulging in this amazing combination of tastes. When egg yolk runs and mixes with the pesto, butter and parmesan; something really magical happens. It’s just crazy good!

This recipe for these baked eggs with tomatoes and pesto requires just few ingredients:

Eggs;

Pesto – store bought (I like mine from Costco) or homemade (you can use this recipe );

Butter;

Parmesan Cheese; &

Cooking spray.

Now there are some modifications that can be made here if you think this might be a little too much fat for you:

You can skip the butter;

You can skip the parmesan cheese (although I highly recommend using it); or

You can nix the pesto when baking, and then just add as much or as little as you want once the eggs are baked.

The tools that you’ll need to make these baked eggs with tomatoes and pesto are equally as simple:

I placed the ramekins in a baking dish with water filled half way up the ramekins (this technique is similar to one used for creme brûlée – it keeps the oven air moist and cooks the eggs evenly).

Whether on keto diet or not, make yourself these delicious eggs and let me know how you liked them.

Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Pesto

These Baked Eggs with Tomatoes and Pesto can be added to your ketogenic breakfast menu if you are looking for low carb recipes. It’s super quick, delicious, naturally low in carbs and packed full of healthy fats.

2 Eggs

1/3 cup Cherry tomatoes (cut up)

2 teaspoon Pesto

1/2 tablespoon Butter

1/2 teaspoon Parmesan Cheese (shredded)

Salt & Pepper

Cooking Spray

Heat up your oven to 425F;

Spray ramekins with cooking spray; add chopped tomatoes and crack an egg into each one;

Add pesto* to each ramekin, pat of butter and half the Parmesan Cheese;

Place ramekins inside a baking dish filled with water half way up the side of ramekins;

Bake eggs for approximately 15 minutes** until the whites are set but the yolks are still running.

*You can bake eggs without pesto and add it once the eggs are done.

**It may take few minutes more or less to cook your eggs. It will depend on a size of the ramekins and also on a size of the eggs. Watch your eggs carefully and take out when done.

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This Smashed Chickpea Avocado Feta Sandwich is a super healthy and super easy lunch option to prepare on the fly. It can be prepared in less then 10 minutes and tastes out of this world delicious. Whenever I feel sluggish and heavy I like to come up with light and healthy options to eat...

This Smashed Chickpea Avocado Feta Sandwich is a super healthy and super easy lunch option to prepare on the fly. It can be prepared in less then 10 minutes and tastes out of this world delicious.

Whenever I feel sluggish and heavy I like to come up with light and healthy options to eat during the day. I recently felt this need; especially in the wake of Super Bowl. And so it was that this Smashed Chickpea Avocado Feta Sandwich was born.

Previously when I was working a corporate job, I would often take in some chickpeas in a tupper wear and a whole avocado for lunch. Then for lunch, I would just slice up the avocado into my chickpeas and add some olive oil (which I always had). Another workplace staple was lemon. I always had fresh lemons in the community fridge. For some reason people thought this was weird.

But I love my salads with lemon and olive oil. It was so easy to just have it there and bring salad or chickpeas and avocado and just top it with some squeezed lemon and some drizzled olive oil. Voila you have a healthy lunch right there.

But I took this Smashed Chickpea Avocado Sandwich to another level. I added FETA cheese! For those of you who regularly follow this blog, you’re aware that I can’t even express how much I love feta cheese. I can eat it all the time!

I think this post combines two of my favorite pairings together: avocado +feta and avocado + chickpeas. For an extra freshness I added sliced cucumber and for a little punch – …a peppery arugula. I served it on the multigrain bread and, as this post suggest, it came out delicious.

Multigrain bread (or any bread of your choice; you can even use homemade crusty bread)

I served mine with cucumber and arugula but you can add whatever you want to it or even ungarnished. But if you chose to garnish, then some suggestions would be:

Spinach;

Romaine Lettuce

Tomatoes;

Onions;

Peppers etc.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, I’m sure you’re aware of know my Feta obsession. If you’re looking for some other suggestions to help satisfy your feta cravings , here are a few other recipes that I’ve used it in:

Place the mixture on a slice of bread, top it with cucumber, arugula and the second piece of bread. Enjoy.

If you’re inclined to try this recipe, then please use the hashtag #innocentdelight on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Also, I encourage you to FOLLOW Innocent Delight on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER for all the latest recipes and updates.

Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs is one of the easiest and most delicious dinners you can make that will surely have people coming back for seconds. This Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs is really fantastic! It has this amazing sweet, garlicky topping which encrusts a juicy, succulent meat. Because...

Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs is one of the easiest and most delicious dinners you can make that will surely have people coming back for seconds.

This Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs is really fantastic! It has this amazing sweet, garlicky topping which encrusts a juicy, succulent meat. Because my recipe for Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic & Herbs is tremendously popular I decided to give this recipe a twist and make the whole loin with the very same ingredients. And the result is equally as outstanding.

When I told my husband that I want to make this loin for the blog, he was excited but also a little concerned. He said that pork loin is tricky because it has a tendency to dry out (Mind you, this awareness isn’t coming from someone who actually cooks, but rather from someone who just loves to eat meat). Well, I totally understand that concerns, but if you follow my instructions, I promise that, you will end up with a super juicy and flavorful meat.

The number one priority to make a really juicy pork loin is …. BRINE. It doesn’t have to be long, but the meat needs to be brined for at least half hour (but the longer the better). You could even do it overnight. But if you are short on time and just want to get the dinner ready on the fly, work on something else while your meat is brining. A half an hour is a must. For the brine you will need:

Large plastic ziplock bag;

3-4 cups of water (to make sure that the whole meat is covered);

3 tablespoon of kosher or himalayan salt.

You will place your loin in the ziplock bag and then submerge it in your brine. Then place your bag into a bowl and leave it in the fridge for at least half hour.

In the meantime you can prepare the brown sugar & garlic mixture and heat up your oven. After the bringing process is completed you can just place the loin into a baking dish, generously sprayed with cooking spray, and rub the brown sugar garlic mixture all over it. Pop it into the oven and the dinner will be ready in about 40-45 minutes. I took mine out when the internal temperature was 145 F and let it rest for 10 minutes. Large cuts of meat increase the temperature when resting, so you don’t want to overcook your meat.

If you are wondering what to serve with this Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs, here are a few suggestions:

Whatever you chose to serve this Brown Sugar Pork Loin with, I can assure you that your family will certainly be raving about the meat. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs

Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs is one of the easiest and most delicious dinners you can make that will surely have people coming back for seconds.

Brine

3 tbsp Salt (Himalayan or Kosher)

4 cups Water

Pork Loin

2.5 LBS Pork Loin

6 cloves Garlic (5, if the cloves are big; minced)

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Thyme (dried)

1 teaspoon Oregano (dried)

2 tbsp Olive Oil (Extra Virgin; you can add up to 3 tablespoon )

Cooking spray

To prepare the brine, dissolve salt in one cup of hot water and then add remaining 2-3 cups of water and let it cool to room temperature. To speed up the process you can add few ice cubes.

Add pork loin to the zip lock and pour over the brine. Place in a bowl and then in a fridge for at least a half an hour.

In the meantime, heat up you oven to 375F and prepare the marinade.

Add minced garlic, brown sugar, herbs and olive oil into a bowl and mix to combine.

Once the brining process is completed, pat the meat dry. Spray your baking dish with cooking spray and place your pork loin in the middle.

Rub the garlic/brown sugar/herbs mixture all over the pork loin. Transfer to the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 145F. Cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes (it will continue to cook)

Nutrition Facts

Brown Sugar Pork Loin with Garlic & Herbs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 342Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Cholesterol 119mg40%

Sodium 3593mg150%

Potassium 735mg21%

Total Carbohydrates 13g4%

Sugars 11g

Protein 42g84%

Vitamin A0.3%

Vitamin C1.8%

Calcium3.8%

Iron7.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are a perfect appetizer for the Big Game. They’re also a lighter alternative to a traditional chicken buffalo wings, not only because they have less fat, but also because they’re baked, not fried. Not to mention they’re also super easy to make. One morning my husband was lying in bed in our...

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are a perfect appetizer for the Big Game. They’re also a lighter alternative to a traditional chicken buffalo wings, not only because they have less fat, but also because they’re baked, not fried. Not to mention they’re also super easy to make.

One morning my husband was lying in bed in our upstairs master bedroom and overheard my Food Network show on TV downstairs. He came down and said, ‘Did you pay attention to what Guy Fierry is doing now? He’s serving up recipes for a Super Bowl party. You have to make a game friendly recipe for the blog ASAP.’

I love it when he participates in the front-end creativity for this blog. He even suggested that I make my buffalo cauliflower; which I sometimes make for us (shocking right? coming from someone who doesn’t like a lot of veggies). But then I thought about it and remembered that few years back I made buffalo turkey meatballs for the big game and everyone was raving about them.

The recipe for these buffalo turkey meatballs is super easy. You just need to mix together a few ingredients in a bowl, and then create little balls out of them. Pop them into the oven and once they’re cooked, then you just smother them in sauce. There is no frying, where you may struggle to brown the meatballs all around; all the while, dealing with splashing oil, etc…

Here’s what you’ll need to make these super easy and super delicious buffalo turkey meatballs:

Ground Turkey Meat;

Panko Breadcrumbs;

Grated Parmesan Cheese;

Grated Onion;

Chopped Parsley;

Egg;

Worcestershire Sauce;

Garlic Powder;

Salt & Pepper;

Buffalo Style Hot Sauce;

Butter; &

Cooking Spray.

If you have all the ingredients ready, it just takes a few minutes to mix the meat and create little meatballs. The oven will do the rest.

During the creation of this post, I sent my husband a photo, while he was at work, and he sent me back an angry emoji. He clearly wanted one immediately and apparently I was torturing him. I ate two…sorry, couldn’t resist.

But I pacified him with the promise of some more in the fridge, that we could have that night as appetizer, to start to get ready for the big game. For sure I intend on making them again this coming Sunday. They’re SO good! I guarantee that if you host a gameday party and pass these buffalo turkey meatballs out, they’ll be the first thing to disappear.

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs are a perfect appetizer for the Big Game. They’re also a lighter alternative to a traditional chicken buffalo wings, not only because they have less fat, but also because they’re baked, not fried. Not to mention they’re also super easy to make.

Prepare the baking sheet with a rack and spray it generously with cooking spray;

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the meat and create little meatballs – keep your hands wet for easy rolling;

Place the meatballs onto your rack and either spray them with cooking spray, or brush them with some olive oil (you should have approx. 25-26 meatballs);

Bake the meatballs in the oven for 25 minutes;

In the meantime, melt the butter in a frying pan and add hot sauce (mix well);

Remove meatballs from the oven and take them off the rack (they will stick if you leave them on the rack), then add to your pan with the sauce;

Drench all your meatballs in the sauce, and then place onto a serving plate;

Add a toothpick to each meatball for easy serving;

Serve your buffalo turkey meatballs with a side of blue cheese dressing and cut up celery and carrot sticks. Enjoy!

If you’re inclined to try this recipe, then please use the hashtag #innocentdelight on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Also, I encourage you to FOLLOW Innocent Delight on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER for all the latest recipes and updates.

This Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad with a Goat Cheese Dressing is super nutritious with simple elegance. It can be served for lunch or light dinner and for sure it will please your guests. This post with the recipe for Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad was one of the first posts I had...

This Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad with a Goat Cheese Dressing is super nutritious with simple elegance. It can be served for lunch or light dinner and for sure it will please your guests.

This post with the recipe for Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad was one of the first posts I had ever published in May of 2014. Admittedly, neither photos nor the post itself were great.

I feel like it wasn’t that long ago when I first clicked “publish” button on these initial posts. But now with the maturity of a few years of experience, I can definitely see some progress…

The funny thing is, is that when I first published this post for this Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad I was convinced that it was a winner. Well, I must respectfully disagree with my old self now. Don’t get me wrong the recipe was great; however everything else wasn’t that appealing.

Now, seeing that salads are a staple of many peoples’ New Years health kicks, I figured that it would be a good time to revitalize this post. So, I have recreated my recipe and taken new photos. Now, I’m happy to present you with this fantastic Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad.

The inspiration for this salad came from a lunch in the city with my husband in one of my favorite chain restaurants in NYC: Le Pain Quotidian . I ordered a Smoked Salmon Salad with Roasted Beets and Arugula, topped with a Goat Cheese Dressing. It was so delicious!

Obviously I had to try to recreate it – and I must say, it came out great. It’s very simple and elegant. When you serve it to guests you’ll surely hear the sound of satisfaction.

In fact, my husband isn’t a huge fun of beets (don’t ask me why); but he ate this salad and more to the point, he enjoyed it (though I’m not completely sure that he didn’t hide some of his beets). Yet if you really don’t like beets, you can always skip them or replace them with, for instance, roasted squash. But in my opinion substitutions won’t be the same.

*(BTW, if you’re sold on the health benefits of beets you may want to check my recipe for Beet Kvass, which takes beets to another level… I know… crazy…right?)

Smoked salmon is an excellent source of protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and iron.

And arugula? I love the peppery taste of this green. Not to mention, it’s tremendously good for you: it contains anti-cancer phytochemicals, & it’s a great source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as iron and cooper.

If you top it all off with goat cheese dressing, made with buttermilk, you’re adding calcium and a healthy bacteria to the mixture. It can’t get any better than that.

Oh and my avocado twist… I don’t even think I need to explain how healthy it is for you (20 minerals & vitamins and all these amazing healthy fats…so good for ya)!

Alright, I hope that I’ve convinced you to give it a try. If you make it use #innocentdelight and show me your creation

Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad

This Smoked Salmon and Roasted Beets Salad with a Goat Cheese Dressing is super nutritious with simple elegance. It can be served for lunch or light dinner and for sure it will please your guests.

Roasted Beets

3 Red Beets (medium size)

2 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Goat Cheese Dressing

4 oz Goat Cheese (plain)

4 tbsp Buttermilk

4 tbsp Olive Oil (Extra Virgine)

1 tablespoon White Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Fresh Dill (chopped)

Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Salad

3 Roasted Beets (peeled and cut into cubes)

6 slices Smoked Salmon

4 cups Arugula

1/2 Avocado (sliced)

1 tbsp Chives or Scallion

1 tbsp Fresh Dill

1/2 Lemon (for sprinkling)

Preheat the oven to 400F

Was and fry the beets with paper towel. Place them individually on the aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil. Wrap them and place them on a sheet pan;

Roast the beets for 50 minutes to an hour, depending on their size. Unwrap each beet and set aside for 10 minutes; until cool enough to handle;

Peel the beets with a small, sharp knife over a piece of parchment paper and cut into quarters;

Put the arugula on a serving platter and then arrange the beets, salmon, avocado and sprinkle with chives and dill.

Drizzle with goat cheese dressing and sprinkle with some lemon juice. Serve immediately.

If you’re inclined to try this recipe, then please use the hashtag #innocentdelight on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Also, I encourage you to FOLLOW Innocent Delight on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER for all the latest recipes and updates.

If you ever wondered how to make beet kvass, I will show you how easy it is. You just need beets, water, salt and spices. No starters, whey or bread required. Alright, there are number of different methods of how to make beet kvass out there. I’ve seen a lot of recipes using starters or...

If you ever wondered how to make beet kvass, I will show you how easy it is. You just need beets, water, salt and spices. No starters, whey or bread required.

Alright, there are number of different methods of how to make beet kvass out there. I’ve seen a lot of recipes using starters or whey, but this method is much simpler. A simple combination of water, salt and time will do the trick.

To further complicate something which is actually very simple, you may also find recipes out there which use bread to make beet kvass. Forget all of those. This recipe for beet kvass is the simplest one you’ll find. It’s adopted from the blog of famous Polish model Agnieszka Maciag and in Polish is called “zakwas z burakow.” In fact, my mom used to make it using a very similar method.

One may wonder, why do you even want to drink beet kvass? That’s a very good question and the answer correlates with the time of the year that it was most prevalent in Poland. My mom used to make it only in the winter time, right before Christmas, to use in the beet borsch that we eat on Christmas Eve (one of the most popular Polish dishes)

I started drinking it this winter and believe it or not I haven’t gotten a single cold. It’s a magical elixir! Mind you, my good health comes at a time when older son, in pre-K, has recently brought home viruses twice. And needless to say, once that’s introduced into the house, our infant drops soon thereafter.

To make matters worse, my husband also recently brought the flu back from his job in the city and, again, I never got sick.

I can’t say for sure that drinking beet kvass has made me stronger in fighting off potential viruses, but honestly this was the only thing that I did differently, and for some reason my body was able to stay healthy.

I will not write about health benefits of beet kvass as there are a lot of authorities providing very useful information on this point. Rather, I just wanted to focus here on a simple method for how to make beet kvass. Just a simple recipe…

If, however, you’re interested in the science behind the health benefits of beet kvass, you may want to check these articles:

I love the taste of the beet kvass, it’s briny and earthy. But it’s no surprise that I feel this way, I do love beets and I especially love all the pickle flavors. So for me this tastes amazing.

For others, I can admit that it may be an acquired taste. My mother-in-law visited us for Christmas and I gave her a shot of beet kvass and she loved it right away and asked for a recipe. Hence, this post Enjoy!

Even though it’s a very simple recipe, there are a couple of rules that needs to be follow in order to make it right. You need to make sure that the fermentation process goes as it should so that your beet kvass doesn’t go bad. Before I explain to you how to make beet kvass, I want to give you a couple of critical pointers:

You should only use organic, clean beets. Any residue of pesticides can affect the fermentation process and your beet kvass will go badly;

I’ve seen recipes using beets with the skin. I don’t recommend this, again any dirt left behind can negatively affect the fermentation process. Peel and cut your beets into thick slices;

You may want to use gloves when prepping the beets for two reasons: (i) your hands will not get stained, & (ii) you won’t introduce any unwanted/unintended bacteria into the beet kvass;

Don’t use tap water! Water should be filtered, boiled and cooled off. The reason for this is to kill any unwanted bacteria to ensure a proper fermentation process;

You should only use a stone pot or large, wide, glass jar for fermenting your beet kvass; and it should be rinsed with boiling water ahead of time. You need to make sure that your container is perfectly clean;

If your beets are floating up, you should use a disinfected (with boiling water) plate to push them down and make sure that all the beets are submerged in liquid;

White film may form around the top of the liquid. It’s harmless. You can remove it daily and then just mix the kvass with a wooden spoon;

If you took all the precautions described above your beet kvass should come out perfectly;

Once done, you can strain it and keep it in jars or glass bottles in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks;

However, if for some reason your kvass develops mold at the top, you will need to discard it. It means that unwanted bacteria got introduced into the fermentation process, at some point. Don’t get discouraged. Start from the beginning and you’ll master it in no time.

Now lets get to the nitty-gritty of how to make beet kvass:

Boil filtered water with salt. Let it completely cool off before adding to the beets;

Cut up the beets;

Peel the garlic;

Start placing in a pot or jar: beets, garlic, spices (allspice, black peppercorns, bay leaves) in layers until you use all of them;

Then submerge these ingredients with your salted water;

If needed, weigh your beets down by dropping a plate into your kvass;

Cover and leave on the counter for 5 days;

Every day, open the lid and inspect for a white film. If it exists, remove with wooden spoon. You can also remove your plate (if needed) and stir the beets. Cover and repeat daily;

After 5 days, your beet kvass should be done;

Using a fine strainer or cheese cloth, pour it into clean jars or glass bottles;

Keep refrigerated;

Caution: I started drinking this with a small shot glass and I’ve since graduated up to one small glass daily (appox. 4-6 oz). This beet kvass is very powerful and it has strong detoxifying abilities. If you overdo it, you may feel the side effects of detoxification (nausea, bloating, tiredness etc). I did it once and it wasn’t fun. But what I’ve learnt is that first…this stuff works! Secondly, my body needs to get rid of some toxins. For more information read the article from Dr. Mercola linked above.

How to Make Beet Kvass

If you ever wondered how to make beet kvass, I will show you how easy it is. You just need beets, water, salt and spices. No starters, whey or bread required.

9 Organic Beets (medium size, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch slices)

8 cups Water (filtered, boiled and cooled off )

2 tbsp Himalayan Salt

1 bulb Garlic (all cloves peeled)

1 tbsp Allspice

1 tbsp Black Peppercorn

10 Bay leaves

Boil the water with Himalayan salt and cool it off.

Peel the beets and garlic and assemble them in the stone pot or glass jar.

Layer beets, garlic and some spices, then repeat until all ingredients are used.

Pour over the water; If the beets are coming above the water surface, add plate to the pot to keep them down;

Cover the pot and leave it for five days on a counter;

Check for white film on the surface daily and if it forms, remove it with wooden spoon. It is harmless.

After 5 days, strain the kvass and pour into the glass jars or bottles. Refrigerate for up to a few weeks.

It is very important that the water is boiled and the pot or jar and all utensils that you will be using for kvass are disinfected with the boiling water as well. It will ensure a proper fermentation and reduce the risk of introducing unwanted bacteria into the mixture.

Chunky Potato Leek Soup with sliced potatoes, leeks, onions, rice and cheese, is far and away the best potato leek soup recipe that I’ve ever tried. This Chunky Potato Leek Soup is very special to me, and I have been making it for about 20 years now. I love soups in general, but I make...

This Chunky Potato Leek Soup is very special to me, and I have been making it for about 20 years now. I love soups in general, but I make this chunky potato leek as often as I can because it is super delicious. Perhaps the best endorsement is that even my picky 4 year old likes it.

It was about the time when I was graduating high school when I came across this recipe in the Polish edition of ELLE Magazine. It was called ‘French Potato Leek Soup’ and it looked so good that I needed to give it a try.

I followed the recipe precisely and I wasn’t disappointed by the amazing combination of flavors. I had been accustomed to Polish soups like this Traditional Polish Dill Pickle Soup, and the French Potato Leek was something totally different. It was love at first bite.

I don’t remember if what I’m making right now is exactly the same in terms of the amount of each ingredient, but for sure it contains the same ingredients:

Potatoes;

Leeks;

Onions;

Parsley;

Rice;

Cheese;

Butter;

Chicken stock or water ( I like using stock as it gives a lot more flavor, but you can also use vegetable stock);

Salt & pepper, to taste.

The vegetables are first sautéed in butter, until soft and slightly caramelized. This is a fundamental difference from the way soups were made when I was growing up – we would take a huge pot of water and add some kind of meat bones, then veggies, spices, etc, and let it simmer for a while. But sautéing leeks and onions develops an amazing sweet flavor that sets this Chunky Potato Leek Soup for a huge success.

I bet the surprising part of this soup is the rice. I know, I was surprised too when I saw it for the first time; but then once I made it I realized that it actually really compliments the soup. It makes it a little bit thicker and heartier.

But then at the end the cheese comes over to take this humble potato leek soup to a new level. The cheese melts into the broth and tastes incredible! I like using Gruyere like in this Broccoli Au Gratin, as I love it’s nutty flavor. But I think that a Cheddar or Moderate Jack would work just fine; it needs to be finely shredded though.

Although the magazine called this potato leek soup “French,” it seems to be closely related to a classic Potage Parmentier or Vichyssoise. It doesn’t contain any cream, milk or flour, though. And most importantly, it isn’t blended. But I guess the combination of potatoes + leeks is French, so this chunky potato leek soup recipe can be called French too, because…why not?

Anyhow, you can make the following adjustments to your liking here:

You can make it vegan, by substituting butter for olive oil, and omitting the cheese;

You can add bacon bits on top (I bet that’ll taste super good);

You can actually add cream if you’d like, or milk or coconut milk if your desire is to have a creamy soup;

You can even blend it or blend part of it. Even though it’ll lose it’s “chunky” charisma, it will still be delicious (as a matter of fact, I needed to separate part of this soup for my 4 year old & blend it for him, otherwise he wouldn’t eat the chunks.. oh well).

It’s still super cold here in New York and all I crave these days is a super warm soup. In fact, I’m going to get myself another bowl of this wonderful Chunky Potato Leek Soup. If you make it, let me know how you liked it.

In a large soup pot like dutch oven or other heavy pan, melt butter and add chopped onions with leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally;

Add sliced potatoes and chopped parsley, cover the pot and cook for another 5 minutes;

Add stock or water, cover and cook for about 15 minutes;

Add rice and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked;

Turn off the soup, add thinly shredded cheese and mix well, allowing the cheese to melt into the broth;

Check for seasoning, add salt and pepper as needed;

Serve with some more fresh parsley and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If using water as opposed to chicken or vegetable stock, you can add a teaspoon of salt to the soup. I normally go low on salt because the cheese is salty and seasons the soup pretty well. I would adjust salt and pepper at the end of cooking once the cheese is incorporated into the broth.

Nutrition Facts

Chunky Potato Leek Soup Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 247Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Cholesterol 26mg9%

Sodium 397mg17%

Potassium 539mg15%

Total Carbohydrates 30g10%

Dietary Fiber 2g8%

Sugars 7g

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A24.7%

Vitamin C20.4%

Calcium12.9%

Iron16.6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you’re tried this recipe, then please use the hashtag #innocentdelight on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Also, I encourage you to FOLLOW Innocent Delight on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER for all the latest recipes and updates.

If you like this recipe, you may also like these amazing soups recipes:

Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by Pop & Cook but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad with Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing is a super easy and healthy meal with lots of flavor, from easy to use Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic and Sautéed Glazed Onions.

It’s the beginning of the New Year and it seems like almost everyone is looking for healthy food options. While some suggest that “healthy” comes at the expense of “flavorful”, this is just one recipe that challenges that preconception. This awesome Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad with Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing is my newest food obsession. I can literally eat it every day. It’s full of flavor yet very easy to make.

It’s amazing how new beginnings (like a New Year) can provide a jump start for people and introduce them to new habits.

I’m all for it. Habits like: Healthy eating, Mindful eating (for me it means slow down and cherishing every bite…. I eat way too fast). to practicing Yoga, to drinking lemon water with honey and apple cider vinegar; or drinking a glass of beet kvas (oh yeah, it’s super healthy; soon I will show you how to make it) and lots of warm water (yes, you heard it right, warm water not ice cold; it is so much better for your body), and green/detox teas; these are all things that I like to incorporate on a daily basis, but which sometimes I need a reminder like New Years to get me back on track. You know what I mean.

To help out with this “new me” resolution I created this wonderful round-up of 35 Amazing Detox Salads to help us all stay on track. I hope you like them as much as I do.

But I digress… As I mentioned above this Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad with Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing is super easy to make. You’ll use garlic and onions but surprise, you won’t have to chop either of them! No chopping, no mess, no waste and when it comes to onions and best yet no more tears! Isn’t that awesome? It’s my newest kitchen hack.

I found these Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic and Sautéed Glazed Onions in my local Walmart freezer section. For the time being, this product is exclusively available in Walmart. I only purchased garlic and onions, but you can also find chopped ginger, basil and cilantro.

That’s awesome because I love to have fresh herbs and the ability to forgo the washing and chopping is a win-win. At their peak freshness, Pop & Cook pulls these ingredients from the fields, processes and then flash freezes them into their convenient trays – all within 90 minutes of harvest. Now that’s fresher than fresh!

2 Sautéed Glazed Onions cubes (pop in the microwave for 10 seconds for a quick defrost);

Whole Grain Dijon Mustard;

Extra Virgin Olive Oil;

Red wine vinegar;

Maple Syrup;

Salt & Pepper.

Heat up a cast iron skillet or a homemade grill and cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through for about 6 minutes;

You can add some oil to the skillet or brush the grill with some oil to avoid sticking;

You can also add the leftover marinade to the skillet for more flavor;

Once the chicken is cooked remove from the skillet and let rest for approximately 3 minutes before cutting.

Assemble the salad:

You can serve the salad “family style” on a plate with the dressing on a side or mix everything into one big bowl with the dressing. If serving on a plate:

create a bed of lettuce;

add cucumbers, tomatoes and onions on one side of the plate;

place sliced avocado adjacent to it;

then add sliced chicken on the remaining lettuce;

Serve with dressing on the side.

As you can see this salad is super easy to make and yet very impressive. In fact, the ability to have a super flavorful Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad and Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing without the need to chop garlic and onions is fantastic. It saves a ton of time that you can actually be spent with your family instead of in the kitchen, chopping and sautéing. Enjoy this simple flavor salad and good luck keeping your New Years resolutions alive!

Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad with Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing

Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad with Glazed Onions Mustard Dressing is a super easy and healthy meal with lots of flavor, from easy to use Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic and Sautéed Glazed Onions.

4 Chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)

4 cups Romaine lettuce (chopped)

1 cup Cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

2 Persian cucumbers (cut into chunks )

1/2 Red Onion (small, thinly sliced)

1 Avocado (sliced)

1 teaspoon Parsley (chopped for garnish)

1 tbsp Cooking oil

For chicken marinade

4 cubes Pop & Cook Crushed Garlic (defrosted)

1 Meyer Lemon (juiced)

2 tbsp Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)

2 teaspoon Maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper (Freshly grounded)

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

For salad dressing

2 cubes Saute Glazed Poop & Cook Onions (defrosted)

1 teaspoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Maple syrup

4 tbsp Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)

2 tbsp Red Wine Vineger

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper (Freshly grounded)

1-2 tbsp water (to thin it out if it become to thick)

Place Pop & Cook garlic in a little bowl and microwave for 10 seconds to defrost it.

In a bowl, combine all chicken marinade ingredients and mix well. Place chicken into a large zip lock bag and pour over the marinade. Marinate at lest 15 minutes and up to overnight;

Chop lettuce and set aside;

Chop cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and mix together;

Heat up cooking oil in the cast iron skillet or brush grill and cook chicken on both sides until cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165F for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the pan, let rest for about 3 minutes and then cut in slices;

In the meantime place Saute Glazed onions cubes in a bowl and microwave for 10 seconds to defrosted.

Combine all the salad dressing ingredients, mix well and set aside;

On a large plate spread the lettuce, add cucumber, tomatoes and onions mixture to 1/3 of the plate;

Slice the avocado and place on another 1/3 of the plate;

Add sliced chicken on the last 1/3 of the plate and serve the salad family style with the dressing on a side.

You can also serve the salad already dressed. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, pour over the dressing and mix well.

Whether it’s a New Year resolution or perhaps a long-term desire to eat healthy, this compilation of 35 Amazing Detox Salads will definitely help you stay on track. I pulled together some great recipes from fellow bloggers and I can’t wait to start making these salads: Perfect Detox Salad with Mayer Lemon Dressing from Innocent Delight....

Whether it’s a New Year resolution or perhaps a long-term desire to eat healthy, this compilation of 35 Amazing Detox Salads will definitely help you stay on track. I pulled together some great recipes from fellow bloggers and I can’t wait to start making these salads:

Perfect Detox Salad with Mayer Lemon Dressing from Innocent Delight. This perfect detox salad combines an assortment of cruciferous vegetables (like cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower) with carrots, spinach, green onions, seeds and nuts. Top it off with a Meyer lemon and olive oil dressing makes for a perfect salad that rejuvenates and detoxifies you.

Salmon Kale Superfood Salad from Wholesome Yum. This salmon kale superfood salad is the most delicious detox salad you’ll ever try. It’s like that salad everyone loves from Costco, but even better and sugar-free!

Kale Carrot Avocado Salad from VegAnnie. This Kale, Carrot, and Avocado Salad is light, tasty, and delicious. It’s made with clean, simple whole food ingredients and come together so easily. Always a crowd-pleaser! Vegan, gluten-free, and paleo.

Cucumber Avocado Farro Salad from Trial and Eater. This cucumber avocado farro salad with miso vinaigrette dressing is full of greens and veggies! Can be eaten by itself (for gluten-free) or over a bed of farro for a heartier meal. Either way, this is a delicious vegan dish that is healthy and full of flavor!

Yummilicious Detox Red Cabbage Salad from Happy Foods Tube. Stay healthy with this Vitamin packed red cabbage salad! This salad is perfect for a detox, but also great with barbecue. It’s light, crispy and yummy!

Rainbow Carrot Apple Slaw from Innocent Delight. This is a famous Polish side dish, which includes ripe, seasonal apples, rainbow carrots and a luscious French Vinaigrette. This can serve as a perfect side dish, or can be paired with many entrees. And best of all, it comes together in no time. Also, did I mention that all these fall colors just look gorgeous together?

Tabouli Salad with Cucumber, Tomato, Feta & Olives from Pinch and Swirl. Tabouli salad is easy to make and absolutely delicious! From crisp cucumber, sweet tomatoes, briny olives and bright parsley, every bite is a little different. It’s a classic Levantine dish (also spelled tabbouleh and tabouleh), a vegetarian salad that is loaded with flavor and texture.

Kale Broccoli Detox Salad from Cooking with Curls. This Kale Broccoli Detox Salad is a delicious way to get your eating habits back on track, without feeling like you’re missing out on anything. It’s packed with super foods, and loaded with tons of flavor…..

Tomato Chickpea Salad with Cilantro and Lime from A Virtual Vegan. This Tomato Chickpea Salad with Cilantro & Lime has all sorts of good going on. It’s full of nutrition, can be made in minutes & is packed with fresh, citrusy flavor!

Copycat Chick-fil-A-Superfood Salad from Mommy’s Home Cooking. You’ll love how easily you can make this Copycat Chick fil A Superfood Salad at home! Only a few ingredients, a couple of minutes and you can have a huge bowl all to yourself.

Grilled Beet and Fennel Salad from Le Petit Eats. This hearty and flavorful grilled beet and fennel salad with sprouted lentils is accented with a schmear of plant-based orange and cumin scented yogurt.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Kale Salad from Yey For Food. This healthy colourful vegetarian salad is filling enough to be a meal and features roasted butternut squash, toasted pumpkin seeds, massaged kale, and a quick homemade lemon dressing!

Delicious Winter Fennel Salad from Gathering Dreams. A festive and colourful salad that will brighten up any dull winter day. A delicious mix of crunchy pomegranate seeds and walnuts with grapefruit and fennel slices.

Let me know which one of these 35 Amazing Detox Salads recipes you like the most.

Oven Roasted Chicken Legs – either thighs, drumsticks, or even whole; can be the easiest dinner one can make when the time is scarce. 5 minutes prep time is all you’ll need. I decided to make this very easy Oven Roasted Chicken Legs recipe for the blog because a number of people have asked me...

Oven Roasted Chicken Legs – either thighs, drumsticks, or even whole; can be the easiest dinner one can make when the time is scarce. 5 minutes prep time is all you’ll need.

I decided to make this very easy Oven Roasted Chicken Legs recipe for the blog because a number of people have asked me how to cook a simple chicken in the oven. For some of you this may seem fairly basic, but I know of more than a few vegetarians out there struggling to cook meat for their families. And if you’ve ever under/over cooked a chicken, perhaps this can be a help.

There are number of questions and concerns that I often hear, like:

Which parts of chicken should I use to roast it in the oven?

When it comes to legs, should I use thighs, drumsticks or whole legs?

How long does it take to prep the chicken ready for the oven?

Do I need to marinate the chicken before I put it in the oven?

Does the chicken need to be brined before seasoning?

What seasoning should I use to make a tasty chicken?

Do I need to pan fry the chicken before I put it in the oven?

Does the chicken need to be placed on a rack or in the oven proof dish?

At what temperature should I roast the chicken?

How long should the chicken stay in the oven?

How do I know that the chicken is cooked through?

I know that almost everybody is now running into the New Year with a ‘best of intentions’ diet and I promise to have couple of posts lined up soon that will help people make smarter choices, but this Oven Roasted Chicken Legs was really something I was frequently asked about and so I needed to carve out a little space on this blog.

And hey, I know it’s not lean chicken breast meat, but it is still just chicken so maybe that can count as diet food, right?

Alright, let’s try to answer some of the above questions/concerns.

Which parts of chicken should I use to roast in the oven?

If I have a choice I will always go for the dark meat (i.e., the legs) as it is tastier and not dry at all. You may roast the chicken breast, but it can be tricky as it has a tendency to become very dry. This recipe for Baked Chicken Breast from Gimme Some Oven can be helpful if you want to go this route. For me chicken legs, either whole, thighs or drumsticks, is the way to go. As a matter of fact, one of these always finds its way onto our dinner table at least once a week.

When it comes to legs, should I use thighs, drumsticks or whole legs?

I love thighs and drumsticks, but whole legs are delicious too. However, if you chose to roast whole chicken legs, you’ll need more time in the oven. For this recipe for Oven Roasted Chicken Legs I used both chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks just because that was all I had at home, but you could go either way.

How long does it take to prep the chicken for the oven?

Literally, 5 minutes. I’m not joking. This recipe is very simple. The most difficult and time consuming part will be the peeling 2 cloves of garlic and either chopping them or pressing them through the garlic press. Then you just add very simple ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice and spices (salt, pepper, sweet paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, oregano and thyme). Mix & drizzle over the chicken. Done.

Do I need to marinate the chicken before I put it in the oven?

You don’t have to, but you can. It will definitely add flavor to your chicken. You can prepare the marinade with spices the night before, smother it all over your chicken and the next day simply put it into your oven.

Does the chicken need to be brined before seasoning?

I love brining the meat. It makes it so tender. You can read about brining the meat in this super popular post for Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Garlic & Herbs. However, it isn’t necessary to brine these chicken legs to make them super delicious. If you don’t have time, or you forgot to put it in a brine or marinade the night before….no big deal. Just smother the chicken with the spices, place them into your oven and enjoy this super simple, delicious dinner.

What seasoning should I use to make a tasty oven roasted chicken legs?

You can use any spices you’d like. For this recipe I choose to use: sweet paprika, cayenne pepper, turmeric, dried oregano, dried thyme and salt & pepper.

Do I need to pan fry the chicken before I put it in the oven?

Nope. You don’t have to. The oven can do the whole job for you. However, if you want to achieve a super crispy skin, you can always do this. I wanted to present a very simple recipe that doesn’t require any “hand-holding.” Simply season the chicken and place in the oven. Easy peasy.

Does the chicken need to be placed on a rack or in the oven proof dish?

This recipe for Oven Roasted Chicken Legs is to be cooked in the oven proof dish like a casserole dish or even the cast iron pan. You could also make an “oven fried” chicken. This recipe from Cooking Light Magazine can give you some ideas.

At what temperature should I roast the chicken?

I recommend roasting the chicken at 425 F.

How long should the chicken stay in the oven?

Chicken thighs and drumsticks should be cooked for about 40-45 minutes. The whole legs will take approximately an hour.

How do I know that the chicken is cooked through?

The internal temperature should read 165F. Make sure to measure the temperature in the middle of the meat part of the leg and not close to the bone.

I hope this little guidance will help anyone who is struggling with roasting chicken legs. I really love this simple and super quick Oven Roasted Chicken Legs recipe. It can make any week night dinner a breeze.

Place the chicken in the oven safe dish like casserole or cast iron skillet;

Pour the mixture over the chicken and rub it on both sides; (This can be done a night before and kept refrigerated before cooking);

Place the chicken skin side up and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sweet paprika (for more intense color); Transfer the casserole to the hot oven.

Roast the chicken for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F;

After about 20 minutes of roasting you can add a little pat of butter on each piece of chicken for crispier skin. It is an optional step and can be omitted;

Once the chicken reaches 165 F remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

You can cook whole legs instead of thighs an drumsticks. The roasting time will be longer – approximately an hour.

Nutrition Facts

Oven Roasted Chicken Legs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 462Calories from Fat 306

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 34g52%

Saturated Fat 8g40%

Cholesterol 187mg62%

Sodium 955mg40%

Potassium 437mg12%

Total Carbohydrates 2g1%

Protein 33g66%

Vitamin A9%

Vitamin C5.7%

Calcium2.3%

Iron9.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you’re inclined to try this recipe, then please use the hashtag #innocentdelight on INSTAGRAM for a chance to be featured! Also, I encourage you to FOLLOW Innocent Delight on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM| PINTEREST | TWITTER for all the latest recipes and updates.